UK Markets Daily: FTSE 100 Closes Down 0.8% on Wednesday 7 October 2026

TL;DR: The FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 10,458.50 on Wednesday, while the FTSE 250 fell 0.7%, gold fell 1.25% to $4,134.60 an ounce, and Brent crude rose 0.2% to $100.74 a barrel.

Market snapshot

Closing levels on 7 October 2026 (data as of 2026-10-07 16:35 London time):

What moved markets

• UK shares fell, with the FTSE 100 down 0.79% and the FTSE 250 down 0.74%. The data and headlines fetched today show no single clear driver for the fall, so we are not going to invent one.
• The pound fell 0.07% against the dollar to 1.32, which is little changed, while the euro fell 0.15% against the pound to 0.85, which means the pound gained a little ground against the euro.
• Gold fell 1.25% to $4,134.60 an ounce, while Brent crude rose 0.16% to $100.74 a barrel, holding just above $100.
• Bitcoin fell 2.49% over 24 hours to $83,469, while Ethereum fell 4.68% to $2,570.21.

Top UK business headlines

• Boots sold in £7bn deal to Canadian billionaire family (BBC News)
• Ex-bankers jailed for rigging rates have convictions quashed (BBC News)
• Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 jobs (BBC News)
• Jaguar unveils new electric car after ‘woke’ ridicule (BBC News)
• Half the harvest, twice the bills: how drought hit farms (BBC News)

Tomorrow to Watch

The scheduled economic news that can move markets on Thursday 8 October 2026, in UK times:

• All day: Chinese markets reopen. Markets in China reopen after the National Day holiday, which ran through Wednesday, so Asian trading returns to normal volumes after a quieter few days.
• 12:01am: RICS House Price Balance (UK, September). A monthly survey balance from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, showing whether more surveyors saw house prices rise than fall. Markets expect a balance of -30%, after -28% last time. It usually moves UK housebuilder shares first, and a big surprise can nudge the pound.
• 7:00am: German Balance of Trade (August). The difference between what Germany exported and imported, a quick check on demand for goods from Europe’s biggest factory economy. Markets expect a surplus of €19.2bn, after €21.3bn last time. It usually moves the euro first, so it can nudge EUR/GBP.
• 9:30am: Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey (UK, Q3). Bank and non-bank lenders report how available credit was for households and businesses over the past three months, and how they expect it to change. No single consensus figure is published for this survey. It usually moves the pound and UK bank shares only modestly, but it feeds into Bank of England thinking on lending and rates.
• 12:30pm: ECB Monetary Policy Meeting Accounts. The published account of the European Central Bank’s September meeting, showing how policymakers weighed inflation against growth. There is no single number to expect: markets read the wording for clues on the next rate move. It usually moves the euro, so it can nudge EUR/GBP and GBP/USD.
• 1:30pm: Initial Jobless Claims (US, week ending 3 October). The weekly count of new claims for unemployment benefits in the US, the most up to date read on the US jobs market. Markets expect around 200,000 claims, after 197,000 last time. It usually moves the dollar, US shares and gold, because it can shift expectations for US interest rates.
• 3:00pm: Wholesale Inventories MoM (US, August). The monthly change in the value of goods held by US wholesalers, which shows whether businesses are stocking up or running stocks down. Markets expect a rise of 0.7%. It usually moves the dollar only modestly, unless it is a big surprise.
• 6:01pm: 30-Year Bond Auction (US). The US Treasury sells 30-year bonds, and the yield investors demand is a live test of how much they charge to lend to the US long term. The previous auction yield was 5.308%. A weak auction can push US yields and the dollar around late in the day.

Times and expectations are taken from the published economic calendar and can change. We explain what each release is and what it usually moves; we do not predict which way markets will go.

See the full UK Markets Daily hub, updated every weekday evening.

Figures are indicative closing levels and can be delayed. Nothing here is financial advice.